Circumstances of DisappearanceReinert was last seen at approximately 21.20 leaving his home with his sister, Karen, and their mother, Susan Gallagher Reinert, in Ardmore, Pennsylvania on June 22, 1979.
Three days later, on June 25, 1979 Susan's nude body was found in the trunk of her own car, which was parked in the parking lot of the Host Inn in Swatara Township, Pennsylvania. She had been beaten and bound with a chain, then killed with an injection of morphine 24 to 36 hours after the beating. There was no sign of Michael or Karen at the scene and an extensive search turned up no signs of either of them.
Various tips came in about the whereabouts of the children. One tip claimed the children were with an ex-con in Denver, Colorado. Authorities discovered a photograph of what appears to be a grave, and are trying to identify the location of where it was taken; they believe the children may be buried there.
Sand samples taken from Susan's feet suggest her murder could have taken place at the New Jersey shore. The weekend Susan was killed one of the men convicted of her murder was known to have gone to Cape May, New Jersey.

Two men were convicted of the murders of the Reinert family. One of the men, William Sidney "Bill" Bradfield, Susan's boyfriend, died in prison; the other Dr. Jay Charles Smith, principal of the school where Susan taught, was released when his conviction was overturned because of allegedly concealed evidence by the prosecution.

It is believed they were murdered for Susan's insurance money.
Michael and Karen are presumed deceased, but their remains have never been found. They were declared legally dead in 1987, and their father died in 2002.

Susan Reinert

Possible Grave Site

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